Risbygate St/Nelson Rd flats

Whilst I support the development of affordable housing in the town, I am concerned that this particular proposal has substantial flaws, as follows.

        Overdevelopment. The Vision 2031 document for Bury St Edmunds shows the whole School Yard area as 0.64 ha with an indicative capacity of 32 dwellings. The area boarded off represents about a quarter of this, or 8 dwellings. (The application states that it is less: 0.13 ha, or 6.5 dwellings.) Even at 8 dwellings, if they equate to three times as many flats, this would represent 24, i.e. 5 fewer. Overdevelopment, with all the attendant parking, noise and disturbance resulting from overuse, is therefore a major concern and relevant objection.

2      Parking. As these will be affordable (not social) rents, many of the 72 occupants are likely to be able to run cars, some because they work well away from home. There is nowhere provided for them or their visitors to park, and this will cause chaotic and further illegal parking and misuse of the Nelson Rd permit scheme. Policy DM 46 applies.

3    Loss of light/overshadowing. Due to the height of the Nelson Road block, this will particularly affect numbers 19, 20 and 21 Nelson Rd.

4    Conservation issues. Apart from the overall size and massing of this proposal being out of keeping with the conservation area, the destruction of both the plum trees and the hedge fronting the site will be a conservation loss. Policy DM 18 applies.

I suggest that a scaled down version of this application, with fewer flats, more space (including for cars) a lower height on Nelson road and the retention of the plum trees and hedge, would all be a considerable improvement.